Champion of the Arts Award

Cultural groups, organizations, and local citizens nominate Grand Junction businesses and individuals for this honor to recognize their generosity, dedication, promotion, and support of the arts, and the award winners are selected by the Commission on Arts and Culture. The awards to these recipients are artwork by local artists.

In the fall of each year, the Commission on Arts and Culture invites nominations for the two annual Champion of the Arts Awards. The awards are given to one Grand Junction business (located within the city limits) or organization, and one individual who/that epitomizes leadership, generosity, and dedication towards arts and culture. The selection criteria are:

The Grand Junction Commission on Arts and Culture is proud to announce that KAFM Radio is the recipient of the 2017 Champion of the Arts Award.

KAFM is the only local community radio station in Grand Junction (one of less than 200 in the entire country) providing both eclectic music programming and special interest talk shows to listeners in the Grand Valley and beyond since 1999. Now streaming across the nation and in eight foreign countries, KAFM is powered by over 250 volunteers, including the corps of talented and vibrant programmers you hear on-the-air daily. These are your friends, neighbors, and partners, making KAFM truly "community powered" radio.

KAFM is a member-supported, volunteer-oriented community radio station dedicated to excellence and diversity in musical, cultural and public service programming. KAFM fills a vital role in the Grand Valley of Western Colorado as an accessible forum for the presentation of music, arts, culture and information by and for the local community.

KAFM’s consistent commitment to support and promote the arts is exemplified in the many projects the radio station is involved in. Beyond Radio, conceived in January of 2008, built on KAFM’s reputation of offering quality yet unusual artistic presentations otherwise unavailable. Held in the Radio Room, the community can experience live concerts, radio theatre, poetry readings, movies, lectures, and other educational presentations in a cozy 75 seat venue.

Collaborations with local theatrical groups in producing plays, musicals, and acts that are rehearsed, performed and recorded at the KAFM studios are many. KAFM provides the space, equipment, and stage at the Radio Room in their studio location for such programs as the Chautauqua Performance of Eleanor Roosevelt, Marie Curie and John Otto.

The Gallery at the Radio Room features an ongoing exhibit of local works in every medium throughout the year. Annually, KAFM hosts an auction/fundraiser of said art works with 60% going to the artists and a portion of art sales benefiting KAFM Community Radio.

More than 200 nonprofits in the Grand Valley have taken advantage of opportunity to bring their information to the community via the Community Affairs show. With a small but mighty staff of four and a volunteer staff of over 200, KAFM is committed to community, creativity and innovation, teamwork, accountability, initiative, and passion.

As the award, the Arts Commission has purchased Gilded Galaxy, by Pavia Justinian, a talented Grand Valley artist. The artwork will be presented to KAFM at the Grand Junction Centennial Band’s Holiday Extravaganza at the Avalon Theatre on Sunday, December 3. KAFM will be introduced to City Council at the regular meeting on January 17, 2018. The Arts Commission wishes to congratulate KAFM for this honor and thanks Terry Doherty for the nomination.

Congratulations to the following local Artist whose artwork was purchased as the awards: